At 36 years old, I’ve recently undergone a fairly significant change in lifestyle; I find myself single for the first time in many years. Why would I mention this in an RPW? It’s actually retail relevant, because in the past few weeks, I have spent more concentrated time and money making retail purchases than I have at any other time in my life. With the exception of some major electronics, computers and musical equipment, I’ve had to completely refurnish a home in the past 30 days – it’s literally been a non-stop retail experience. Pots and pans from Home Goods. Flatware, cutlery kitchen appliances and gadgets from Bed, Bath and Beyond. Endless trips to Best Buy, Target, Home Depot, and even more hours spent online for product research and specialty purchases. If it goes into a home, I’ve had to buy it; I have literally been shopping every free moment of every day. And so far, every shopping experience has been completely routine, without any type of backstory worth sharing.

But there is still one purchase I have to make, and I’ve been putting it off until last due to pure inexperience. I’ve never bought living room furniture as an adult. Honestly, every living situation I’ve had for the past 15 years has come pre-furnished, in one way or another. The last time I was asked to make a significant decision on the décor of a living area was in my first apartment after college, and needless to say, a disposable IKEA loveseat and a neon Miller High Life sign probably won’t cut it anymore (Nothing against IKEA, Nikki!).

Instead, I want to get it right. I’ve been reading interior design magazines for ideas, watching silly shows that promise to help you put a room together with some style, and this week, my plan was to hit the furniture stores. But all of that changed after a phone call with my brother last night.

I called to ask him for suggestions on where to go. He’s quite a bit older than me, and because we live in the same general geography and he’s always been there and done that before I have, I often call him for advice on major retail purchases. I asked if he had any suggestions on where to buy living room furniture. Now you’d have to know my brother to understand that his replies are almost always cynical, ending with something to the effect of “And that’s how they get you. “ So I was quite shocked to find that this time, he had a definitive answer: “Jordan’s. Hand’s down “.

Jordan’s Furniture is a five store chain with locations in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. If you’ve even been to New England, even for just a visit, you’ve probably seen their branding. An 80 year old business, the brand really became a household name in the 70’s when it was taken over by two brothers, Barry and Elliott Tatelman, who so clearly inherited a furniture store when they wanted to be in the entertainment business. Their commercials were entertaining. Their stores (some up to 110,000 square feet) were entertaining, all of which are open late hours on weekends, and were the first to feature ice cream, carnival themes, liquid fireworks displays and motion odyssey movie theaters in store. They are active sponsors of all types of entertainment, including major sports teams and concert venues. In essence, Barry and Elliott redefined the furniture shopping experience in this part of the world, and several of their competitors have attempted to follow suit. The business model was so compelling that in 1999, it was sold to none other than Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway Investments.

But as a spectator, I’ve always believed that all of this entertainment came at a price to the consumer. With my credit card nearly ready to burst into flames after a month of heavy retail use, I never considered Jordan’s to be on my short list of furniture retailers to visit. My budget had me thinking about discount stores, not fun stores. The experience my brother described completely changed my mind.

Here’s what he shared. A few years ago, he and his wife visited a Jordan’s. They selected a modestly priced matching leather living room set. They paid for it, and were told they’d have delivery in a few days. The next day, however, someone from Jordan’s customer service called to explain that there was a problem — the set they’d chosen would not be in stock for nearly two months. As a workaround, the representative offered them a loaner set that would be delivered — free of charge — for them to use until the set they’d ordered was back in stock. Two days later, a Jordan’s delivery truck arrived with the set, which was significantly more expensive and higher quality than what they’d paid for. Not bad, right?

It gets better. In the process of moving the loaner set into the house, which was not only nicer, but significantly larger than what my brother and wife had purchased, the delivery people managed to rip the trim off the doorway to the house and put several dings and scratches in the walls. When my brother got home, he was not a happy camper. He called customer service, and was told that the company was aware of the damage, would send a repair team out the following day to fix it, and that as an apology, he and his wife could keep the more expensive set for the price they had originally paid. The following day, his house was as good as new, only with a very, very nice set sofas at one-third their selling price.

Now I don’t have a lot of money to throw at the furniture I must buy this week. In retrospect, I probably should have bought sofas first, which might have forced me to skimp a little on the coffee maker. But even if I have to pay a little more than I originally intended — even in today’s tight economy — that type of customer service story has the power to influence where I will be making this significant purchase. It also saves me time and frustration visiting multiple stores. I can only hope the delivery guys will have a hard time making it up the three flights to my apartment.